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Champion (Konishi)
The Champion Hand Camera (チャンピオン手提暗函) The phrase tesage anbako (手提暗函) is rendered as "Hand Camera" in the Konishi catalogue dated December 1911. In modern sources, it is often translated as "Portable Camera" and the camera is sometimes called "Champion Portable". The Japanese word anbako literally means "dark box"; it was modeled after "camera obscura" and was used for cameras until around the 1910s. is a Japanese magazine camera released by Konishi (predecessor of Konica) in January 1904. Date: Lewis, p.18, Sakai, p.16 of no.10, chronology from the official company history Shashin to tomo ni hyaku-nen, reproduced in Tanaka, p.94 of the same magazine, this page of the Center of the History of Japanese Industrial Technology and this page at R. Konishi Rokuoh-sha. Origin One source says that the Champion was an imported camera introduced in January 1904 and made by A. C. Jackson in the UK. Lewis, p.18. The Jackson company was absorbed into Houghtons in March 1904, and the Champion is quite similar to some of the Houghtons Klito magazine camera models. It is extremely difficult to know for sure if the camera was a Japanese model inspired by Western equivalents or an imported one. The original documents observed so far do not explicitly state that the Champion was made in Konishi's manufacturing facilities. [http://kindai.ndl.go.jp/BIImgFrame.php?JP_NUM=41020932&VOL_NUM=00000&KOMA=9&ITYPE=0 Kan'i Shashin-jutsu: September 1906 catalogue by Fusō Shōkai, p.15], electronically available at the National Diet Library, and December 1911 catalogue by Konishi Honten, p.25. The naming of the products sold by Konishi perhaps gives a hint of the answer: it seems that all the imported cameras were sold under their original brand name and none was rebadged, whereas all the cameras sold under a local brand name were made in Japan. This is inferred from the contents of the December 1911 catalogue by Konishi Honten. The case of the Midg is dubious but probably follows the general rule. This would mean that the Champion, whose brand name is not found in the West, was a local product. Description The Champion has the shape of a vertically elongated box, and contains twelve plates in format (8×10.5cm). Twelve plates in format: December 1911 catalogue by Konishi Honten, p.25. The control of the changing mechanism is visible above the camera on the photographer's right, next to the top handle. The camera has an exposure counter, which perhaps corresponds to the round window visible in front of the changing lever. Exposure counter: December 1911 catalogue by Konishi Honten, p.25 (巧妙なる金具の作用に依り露出せる乾板の枚数を表示す). The lens is slightly offset upwards, and there are two brilliant finders with square windows at the top of the front plate. These square windows consist of a concave optical element, to enhance the viewing image. Concave optical element: December 1911 catalogue by Konishi Honten, p.25 (ファインダーは大なる二個の単凹境を具備すれば). The back is locked by two keys on the right; it is certainly hinged to the left to load the plates. The lens has two elements and an iris diaphragm, certainly set by an index at the bottom of the lens rim. Two elements and iris diaphragm: December 1911 catalogue by Konishi Honten, p.25 (境玉は迅速二枚玉にして前部に虹彩絞を装し). It is said that the maximal aperture is f/11. Sakai, pp.16–7 of no.10. There is a lever on the right of the lens (as seen from the front), certainly to switch from Time to Instant exposures. Time and Instant: Sakai, p.17 of no.10, and December 1911 catalogue by Konishi Honten, p.25 (定時及瞬間). The Instant setting is adjustable, reportedly from 1/20 to 1/100, certainly by turning the knob visible at the bottom right of the lens.> 1/20 to 1/100: Sakai, p.17 of no.10. (This arrangement is similar to that of the Patent Klito shutter (T, 1–100) found on most Houghtons Klito models.) The shutter is released by a sliding lever placed on the photographer's right, near the bottom. Commercial life and surviving example The Champion was reportedly released in January 1904. January 1904: chronology from the official company history Shashin to tomo ni hyaku-nen, reproduced in Tanaka, p.94 of no.10, Sakai, p.16 of the same magazine, and Lewis, p.18. The date is simply given as 1904 in the chronology at R. Konishi Rokuoh-sha. The camera was not sold by Konishi only, and it appears for in a September 1906 catalogue by Fusō Shōkai, under the name Fusō Champion (フソーチャンピオン). [http://kindai.ndl.go.jp/BIImgFrame.php?JP_NUM=41020932&VOL_NUM=00000&KOMA=9&ITYPE=0 Kan'i Shashin-jutsu: September 1906 catalogue by Fusō Shōkai, p.15], electronically available at the National Diet Library. The camera was still presented in the December 1911 catalogue by Konishi Honten, at an unchanged price. December 1911 catalogue by Konishi Honten, p.25. It was an intermediate offering between the Cherry and the Navy. At least one surviving example is known, pictured in various sources. Surviving example pictured in , item 1024, and in this page of the Center of the History of Japanese Industrial Technology. The illustration of the original catalogue differs from the surviving example by various points. Original illustration: December 1911 catalogue by Konishi Honten, p.25, and this page and this page at R. Konishi Rokuoh-sha. The Time and Instant selector and the speed knob are notably absent from the illustration, which instead shows an unidentified part under the lens (perhaps a nameplate), and a small button on the left of the lens (as seen from the front). The illustration also shows a round control instead of the sliding release lever, and a slanted instead of straight top handle. These differences perhaps say more of the inaccuracy of the advertising drawings used at the time than of actual production variants. Notes Bibliography * Fusō Shōkai Shashinbu (扶桑商会写真部). Kan'i Shashin-jutsu (簡易写真術, Simple technique of photography). Ōsaka: Odagaki Tetsujirō (小田垣哲次郎)，September 1906. Available in electronic form at the National Diet Library. The most relevant pages are pp.14–5. * Konishi Honten (小西本店). Saishin Shashin Kikai Mokuroku (最新写真器械目録, Latest catalogue of photographic apparatus). Published on December 18, 1911. Recent reprint. * P.18. * Sakai Shūichi (酒井修一). "Konica history 2. Meiji 36-nen – 40-nen." (Konica history 2. 明治36年–40年. From Meiji year 36 (1903) to Meiji year 40 (1907).). Pp.16–23. * Item 1024. * Tanaka Yoshirō (田中芳郎). "Meiji–Taishō jidai no Konishi Honten no kamera wo shiru tame no hon" (明治・大正時代の小西本店のカメラを知るための本, Books about the Konishi Honten cameras of the Meiji and Taishō eras). Pp.92–4. Links In Japanese: * Champion in the Camera database of the Center of the History of Japanese Industrial Technology * Pages of the R. Konishi Rokuoh-sha website: ** Champion ** Champion in the camera list Category: Japanese 8x10.5 Category: Japanese box Category: Konica Category: C Category: 1900-1905